Sun!

It's been such a wonderful day!!  Lovely sunshine - it makes you realise just how dismal it's been for the last few months!  I have been doing a lot of spring cleaning these last few days and now I can actually see out of the windows.

The animals are much happier too.  Jake has been staggering around outside, with Bo bumbling along and Mattie has been busy digging up her bones and burying them in new places.

The chickens are much happier:

 

 

 I thought we were going to lose this old speckledy when it was so cold, wet and snowy.  She got a nasty cough and was very dirty.  I put her in the barn in the nursery hutch for a week or so, and then moved it into the chicken paddock (it's on the left in the picture above) and then finally let her run with the others.  Look at her now:

 

 

And now we are getting more than 10 eggs a day (I know, 10 eggs from 27 chickens means we are mainly running a retirement home)

 

Still - the eggs we get are probably the best in Berkshire!

 

 

 



Valentine Bear

Had such a laugh making our Valentine Bears yesterday - it's always really good fun, once people get over the fact that so many little pieces have to be sewn together!  But it's hand-stitching so not too stressful and there's always a lot of chat because you're not talking over the sound of the machines.  Yesterday's chat included quite a bit on farmers love of figurines.  Jacqui said she was surprised to see a tiger statue in the house of a farmer friend, and asked if we had any.  Well, we don't, but we do have horses, pigs, cows, ducks, chickens, geese, a gorilla and loads of elephants.  When I mentioned it to Jonathan his eyes misted over at the thought of a tiger - I reminded him that I'd put a ban on any more ornaments being brought into the house a couple of years ago.  What is it with farmers and ornaments?  And farmer's wives and lady figurines?  I only have two - but I do love them even if Margaret did make it clear that perhaps they were not in the best possible taste.  I don't care what she says, the Florence lady STAYS, to be admired by all who view her!!!  and I'm really trying to forget the mention of plastic........

Anyway, at least I made another little bear - black this time.

Cold, wet, snowy

So, another cold, wet snowy day.  I woke up and reluctantly got out of bed.  Walking through to the bathroom, I was deciding what I could spend the day doing, when my future was decided for me and I was faced with this:

This is for anyone feeling nostalgic for children who have flown the nest.  George boards during the week and comes home at weekends - so, no, this isn't a term's worth of washing, it isn't even a week, it's just five days!!!  And he hasn't just thrown it all on the floor - the linen basket is full as well.
And, naturally, in amongst the mound were one or two things still folded and ironed from last week's wash.

As I went  to let out the chickens this morning, my friend who has been appearing for the last couple of weeks was watching as usual:

(It was hard to take a picture through the snow).  He perches on the fence post at the bottom of the field first thing in the morning and then again as night falls.  I think the rest of the time he stays in the barn.